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Admissions Policy

Statement of Ethos : The Rochester Grammar School

The ethos of this school is “excellence for all”; we have the highest expectations of all of our learners in terms of their commitment to academic achievement, respect for others and contribution to the school community. Our Mission Statement, “Transforming Life Chances”, articulates the strength of personal support, care and guidance given to each learner. We have a clear policy on uniform and dress code as well as a Code of Conduct based on mutual respect.

We ask all parents applying for a place at the Rochester Grammar School to respect this ethos and its importance to the school community.

Admission Arrangements

Admission Arrangements Consultation 2020/21

The Rochester Grammar School is consulting on its admissions policy for entry in 2020.

1. Admission arrangements Year 7 – 11

The arrangements for coordinated admissions in Medway will be set out in detail in the Medway LA booklet for parents ‘Admission to Secondary School’, a copy of which will be available with the Headteacher or from the admissions team at the Education Office. The main points are summarised below:

Parents complete the Medway common application form (CAF) in accordance with the Medway Co-ordinated Admission Scheme.

The Local Authority will administer the Medway test on behalf of the governors of The Rochester Grammar School.

The Local Authority will then act as clearing house for the administration of pupils’ preferences.

Following the tests, selective and non-selective decisions are posted to parents by the Local Authority. Offers and refusals of places will be posted to parents by the Local Authority, on behalf of RGS.

The school will also post to parents decisions of the governors on admission and details of the right of appeal against the governors’ decision.

Places will first be offered to any selective girl with a statement of special educational need where The Rochester Grammar School is named.

The school’s published admission number is 175 for pupils entering Year 7 in 2018.

2. Oversubscription criteria for September 2018:

If the number of RGS preference selective girls received via the Medway Co-ordinated Scheme exceeds the number of places available at the school, places will be allocated in the following priority order:

Children in public care – as defined in the Medway co-ordinated admissions scheme.

Where a pupil can demonstrate a specific musical aptitude, as assessed by graded examinations. Parents/carers should write to the Chair of the Medway Secondary Regional Governing Body using the Expression of Interest form with details. Two places annually will be awarded, given eligible candidates.

In rank order based on the scores achieved in the tests. In the event that two pupils have equal ranking for the last place, priority will be given to the pupil whose permanent address is the nearest to The Rochester Grammar School, as measured by using Medway Council’s Geographical Information System.

3. Waiting List/In-year Applications

All parents who have been refused a place at the school will have the option to indicate their wish to remain on the waiting list.

Children will be held on the waiting list by order of the criteria in the Admissions Policy. No account can be taken of the length of time a pupil is on the list. A pupil’s position can change on the list as new applicants join or other applicants come off the waiting list.

Medway Council will be responsible for holding a waiting list for parents of rising Year 7 who request their child’s name be added until 31 December.

Any application for admission to the academy which is outside the normal admissions round should be made direct to the school and the school will administer its own entrance test (to be deemed selective) for admission which will be carried out according to a published calendar of dates. No other selection process will be valid. * 11+ testing is only valid for entry to Year 7 within the co-ordinated scheme dates.

If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria in (a) to (c) above will apply.

However, within exceptional circumstances as set out in the Admissions Code of Practice, the Academy may refuse to admit a challenging child where there are places available on the grounds that admission would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources. Children with statements of special educational needs, where the academy is names, will be offered a place over PAN. The Academy reserves the right to discuss this with relevant agencies.

4. Arrangements for admission to Year 12

The Rochester Grammar School

Applications for Year 12 Entry

A Number of additional Year 12 places available for students being admitted to the school for the first time:

*The same minimum entry requirements apply for transfers from the RGS Year 11.

Courses to be studied at A Level or IB require B grade or above as specified in 6th form prospectus.

Subject choice discussion will take place with students.

Any offers will be conditional on final GCSE results.

At the end of year 12, student performance is assessed via mock or external examinations (depending on the subject). If students achieve below three C grades at the end of year 12, their provision will be reviewed prior to entry into year 13. Each student must study at least 3 A Level courses or their equivalent. Students studying the IB in year 12 must have demonstrated full commitment to the course and the ability to achieve the full Diploma at the end of Year 13.

B Oversubscription criteria

If there are insufficient places available in Year 12 for external candidates, places will be offered, in priority order, as follows:

Students in public care – as defined in the Medway co-ordinated admissions scheme.

Students demonstrating a specific musical aptitude, as assessed by graded examinations or their equivalent.

1. Admission arrangements Year 7 – 11

The arrangements for coordinated admissions in Medway will be set out in detail in the Medway LA booklet for parents ‘Admission to Secondary School’, a copy of which will be available with the Headteacher or from the admissions team at the Education Office. The main points are summarised below:

Parents complete the Medway common application form (CAF) in accordance with the Medway Co-ordinated Admission Scheme.

The Local Authority will administer the Medway test on behalf of the governors of The Rochester Grammar School.

The Local Authority will then act as clearing house for the administration of pupils’ preferences.

Following the tests, selective and non-selective decisions are posted to parents by the Local Authority. Offers and refusals of places will be posted to parents by the Local Authority, on behalf of RGS.

The school will also post to parents decisions of the governors on admission and details of the right of appeal against the governors’ decision.

The school’s published admission number is 175 for pupils entering Year 7 in 2019.

Where the Academy is named on a student’s Statement of Special Educational Needs or Statutory Education, Health and Care Plan, and the student has fulfilled the entry requirements, the student will be admitted by the Academy.

2. Oversubscription criteria for September 2019

If the number of applications for admission to the Academy is greater than the Published Admissions Number (PAN) of 175, places will be allocated in the following priority order:

1st Looked After Children and all children who have been previously looked after, but following being looked after became subject to an adoption order, child arrangement order or special guardianship order (in the care of the Local Authority or provided with accommodation by the authority for a continuous period of more than 24 hours)

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

2nd Children who, at the time of the admission, have a sibling who attends the Academy (RGS). For this purpose, “sibling” means a whole, half or step-sister, or an adopted child resident at the same address. The Academy will also include in this criterion children whose parents are married or cohabiting and live together within the same household. In the case of multiple births or siblings in the same year group, where there is only one place available in the Academy (RGS), the other child/children will be offered place above PAN.

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

4th Children of staff employed by the Academy: following the criteria above, priority will be given to the child of a person (1) who has been employed at the Academy for two or more years at the time the application was made and/or (2) where the person was employed by the Academy to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage.

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

5th Child’s health reasons. Written medical evidence from a General Practitioner or hospital consultant must be provided which demonstrates a specific health reason which requires the child to attend “The Rochester Grammar School”.

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

6th In rank order based on the scores achieved in the tests. In the event that two pupils have equal ranking for the last place, priority will be given to the pupil whose permanent address is the nearest to The Rochester Grammar School, as measured by using Medway Council’s Geographical Information System

[If the school reaches PAN and becomes oversubscribed within this point in the priorities for allocation, places will be allocated on the basis of rank order according to the score achieved in the Medway Test]

3. Waiting List/In-year Applications

All parents who have been refused a place at the school will have the option to indicate their wish to remain on the waiting list.

Children will be held on the waiting list by order of the criteria in the Admissions Policy. No account can be taken of the length of time a pupil is on the list. A pupil’s position can change on the list as new applicants join or other applicants come off the waiting list.

Medway Council will be responsible for holding a waiting list for parents of rising Year 7 who request their child’s name be added until 31 December.

Any application for admission to the academy which is outside the normal admissions round should be made direct to the school and the school will administer its own entrance test (to be deemed selective) for admission which will be carried out according to a published calendar of dates. No other selection process will be valid. * 11+ testing is only valid for entry to Year 7 within the co-ordinated scheme dates.

If more applications are received than there are places available, the oversubscription criteria above will apply.

However, within exceptional circumstances as set out in the Admissions Code of Practice, the Academy may refuse to admit a challenging child where there are places available on the grounds that admission would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources. Children with statements of special educational needs, where the academy is names, will be offered a place over PAN. The Academy reserves the right to discuss this with relevant agencies.

4. Arrangements for admission to Year 12

See attached

The Rochester Grammar School

Applications for Year 12 Entry

A Number of additional Year 12 places available for students being admitted to the school for the first time: